BlueRose
I can answer your questions about the tea. It is basically a tree bark from a tree that grows in the Central American jungles. The ingredients are smilax dominigensis and tecoma stans. The makers of the tea do tell you that it would never work in pill form. I, too, noticed the link that Northstar gave didnt work. We order our tea at this website:
http://www.milagrousa.com
It's a reliable sight--in fact both times we ordered it, we received it in 2 days! Just note--it's not cheap but we feel that it's well worth the money. Brewing it can be a bit time consuming. You have to boil water in a non-aluminum pan or kettle. I bought a glass kettle for this purpose. The tea has to boil for 10 minutes. The taste, while not unpleasant, isn't bitter either. One website recommends putting a cinnamon stick into the kettle while the tea boils. I do this and noticed that it does improve the flavor. Anyway, if you order it, they do send instructions. They recommend drinking the tea for 6 months. Some people--they say--have found that after 6 months have found that they don't need it anymore. However, each person is different. My husband, who has been diagnosed with type II diabetes has found that his blood
Sugar has dropped about 20 points after having drunk the tea for over a month. He still takes his diabetes meds--in fact the website tells diabetics not to stop their meds unless your doctor says to do so. You have to drink three 8
oz. cups a day--preferably a half hour before eating. I have to go back to the doctor soon to check my blood sugar---so we'll see how I'm doing...
I read what you wrote about brewing it in the microwave. I would love to stay in a hotel with a stove but that's not always possible. I've thought of using the coffee makers they put in rooms to boil the tea. Either that, or see if I can find a good immersion heater. Whatever the case, I'm going to request that the hotel put a small refrigerator in our room next time we travel.
EDIT: I just saw what Northstar wrote about a new pill available as a substitute for the tea. I'll have to research that.